Russia promises uninterrupted energy supply to India despite US pressure

Staff Correspondent

Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured India of uninterrupted energy supplies despite intense pressure from the United States, a pledge that has sparked international debate in the wake of the Trump administration’s imposition of a 50 percent tariff on India for failing to halt oil imports.

The French news agency AFP reported this information.

Putin, at a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, said Russia is ready to provide India with consistent supplies of essential fuels, including oil, gas and coal, for its rapidly growing economy. He called Russia a reliable partner in India’s energy sector.

This was Putin’s first visit to India since the start of the Ukraine war. He was welcomed with a red carpet welcome, a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute. Praising Putin’s unwavering commitment, Modi said that energy security is an important pillar of the partnership between the two countries. However, he did not directly raise the issue of oil.

Russia accounted for about 36 percent of India’s total crude oil imports in 2024. India has recently reduced its imports of Russian oil due to international pressure.

During the meeting, Putin briefed Modi on the situation in Ukraine and peace initiatives. Modi reiterated that India has always been in favor of peace on the Ukraine issue.

Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $68.7 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year, almost six times higher than before the pandemic. In contrast, India’s exports were only $4.88 billion. The two leaders agreed to a program of economic cooperation until 2030, as well as signing several agreements in the jobs, health, shipping and chemicals sectors.

The summit focused on defense, energy and trade. Russia has long been India’s main arms supplier, but that share has fallen to 36 percent in the 2019-23 period. Air defense systems, fighter jets and nuclear submarines were also discussed at the meeting. Putin is expected to leave India after a state dinner in the evening.